Cover Story
The Levin File
By Ray Marano
Smart Business Pittsburgh | February 2006
Place of birth: Pittsburgh
Education: Bachelor of arts degree, philosophy, Penn State; master’s degree, gerontology, University of Southern California
First job: Helping my mom unpack lamps
Whom do you admire most in business and why?
Steve Jobs, for his brilliant marketing, and Yvon Chouinard, CEO of Patagonia, the apparel company, for his total dedication to environmentally friendly business practices.
What is the most important business lesson you’ve learned?
In a marketing-intensive business, you can’t let up for an instant — you have to push it all the time.
What has been your toughest business challenge?
Making changes that are perceived as negative but are for the company’s benefit.
Describe your leadership style.
Not intimidating or confrontational, the flip side weakness being a periodic failure to address problems. More recently, I have encouraged senior managers to grow by networking with peers in their respective fields.
